Who ever thought coming from a line of battle magisters would ever help a weakling like me?

I hated the wilderness survival. I hated every minute of it when I was twelve. I got covered in mud, smelly, hungry, angry, and sad. Then I hated the mind training laboratory. I got my mind pierced and crushed and slammed. I cried for two days afterwards. I wondered why my brother would ever make me do such a horrible thing.

But now I know. Just like he said; that day came when it saved my life, and that of my husbands. My mind held against the fear of that Abyssal Sphere, and I acted. Someone I wanted to save appeared. And I promised. And with my newfound Thunder Stride, I saved them.

And I even evoked the Auster Vocare. If were stronger, I could pronounce it all in my head in super-speed like brother and have the same effect. I had to use the crutch of my husband protecting me so I could speak it, but he protected me protecting him.

Hahaha… now we’re really a couple of fools, right?

And of course; now I’m in big trouble. I declared Auster Vocare for such a minor thing. I bloody well summoned the gaze of her majesty, the great thunder herself, Arch-Magister Seria Sesshouin, into her own backyard. Under the authority of my brother’s sigil too.

Such big trouble.

But without it, we would die. I already used all the astral lightning I could probably manage. I could magnetise a dustbin into him and knock him off-balance maybe, but my magnesis isn’t all that powerful.

Jim might defend us more. But for how long?

If this Gavin really was a battle trained necromancer, our advantage would be gone soon.

The thunderclap blinds even me. A surprisingly short and petite woman strides out of the blast, her resplendent hair the colour of ebony, cascading to her pale lower legs. Despite it being the middle of winter, she is quite scantily clad in black lingeries. All of her is cascading with streams of electricity and the very air’s pressure almost chokes me.

She looks over her shoulder at me and snorts slightly, as if to say ‘What? Why are you wasting my time?’.

I swallow, and grab at Jim’s hand tightly.

But then her eyes narrow slightly, and her head snaps around to Gavin, who is now a completely changed man. He looks smaller, quivering, pathetic. His ward is gone and he stands in the shadow of a giant.

“Help? HELP!? Who are ~you~ DARING to ask for help?”

Her voice almost sounds like thunder itself; but yet its tone is sultry and mature. An elder matron’s voice with an edge of violence. It completely mismatches the shape of the slender girl that looks as young as I am.

Suddenly, the garage door nearest the Arch-Magister explodes outwards; and a giant hulk of a ghoul, putrid, fat, and seven feet tall, is leaping from behind it and already swiping its claws and savage jaws.

I almost jump out of my skin. Gods below, I really did make the right choice. Even if we had resisted, if that thing had joined in…

Of course, her majesty is unimpressed. She has already moved her hand up in a mock finger-gun.

“Bang!” She casually says, almost giggling.

Lightning so azure that it turns everything blue blasts out.

And the entire giant zombie is just ~gone~, along with the garage and the tarmac next to it. A bicycle that was leaning against the wall is now a unicycle, and promptly falls over. If the dome of power was not already enclosing the area, I could see that blast honestly disintegrating half the city. How terrifying. Our Majesty the Mjolnir, the lady of the dark skies, the guardian of Britannia, is indeed worthy of her name.

I blink and, in that moment, I see the Arch-Magister is now holding Gavin up by the throat. Choking dust and heat is floating around from the furrow of molten tarmac that was once a garage, so both me and Jim cough and blink.

“Oh, dear. I see. If it isn’t the apprentice of Ingrid Weissdorn? Such a foolish boy. Privy do kindly tell me of my old vampire friend, why don’t you?”

She sounds like she is talking to herself; but I feel a bit nauseous. She is clearly extracting his thoughts.

“Mmm… I see, I see. And you were planning a big event in two days? Fufufu… you don’t say? What a guest list! Even that elfin whore Feinenjeratha!? Amazing! Fufufufu!”

Suddenly, Gavin screams and clutches his head, and then crushes his own skull in a sickening sound. I gulp at the sudden splatter of gore.

“Oh, you always were such a party pooper, Ingrid. A forced suicide geas? That’s so 14th century! Hahhh…”

She throws his body aside like trash.

Then she is suddenly in front of me, grinning. Some blood is dripping down her cheek, making her doll-like face and chocolate-coloured eyes quite scary. It's like staring into an endless void of magic. A shiver goes down my spine and I let out an ‘eeee!’ noise inadvertently. I bow low on instinct, and so does Jim.

“Mmmmm? The youngest Myneris got bigger and married whilst I wasn’t looking? I see. And still the girl with all the audacity but none of the talent. Shame. But better than the other fake ladies I guess.” She waves her finger in front of me, and then stares at Jim.

“Oh? And who’s this? My, my, you are an impressive root, aren’t you, boy? How stellar. And you’re a second soul? Fascinating. Mmm… but that’s really not good for you, you know…? Well, I guess I’ll do you a favour since you’ve managed to do me one accidently.” She pokes Jim in the forehead, leaving a bloody fingerprint, and he spasms, vomits up blood and collapses, passing out.

“JIM!” I squeak, though I can’t move with the oppressive pressure from the Arch-Magister. She looks back to me.

“Oh, don’t worry yourself, love. That boy will be fine. I just disarmed a bomb. You might want to get him to tell you about his other life, though. Fascinating stuff, this soul merge business. Oh, and right on time, here’s the other one.” She looks up.

Suddenly a car pulls up with a screech of brakes, and brother practically leaps from the front and goes down on one knee. She swivels to face him, and I convince myself that he must feel the same I do.

“I ~should~ give that boy Flint a serious reprimand for this, calling me from a nap. But I ~guess~ your sister might have died in this case and I do treasure the bonds of family. And I got some good intel. And I got to see an interesting soul. Mmm… so, this time, I won’t pursue it. But I’ll send a missive to your staff, Captain Myrneris. Be sure to investigate everything. Kill ALL the fae usurpers this time. ALL OF THEM. Understood?”

“Of course, your eminence.” He bows lower at the thunderous command.

“Good. Then we’re done here.”

A flash, and the Arch-Magister has gone. It no longer feels as though a rhino is sat on my chest.

And after he spends another second prostrated, Jasper pulls himself up and rushes over to me.

“LAPIS!” He shouts. “Are you?”

“I’m fine.” I’m still shaking and I’m not fine, but that’s as close as I can be for now. I go over to Jim and pull his head onto my lap.

“Did he do this!?” My brother is suddenly furious. “I should have listened to Alice… he put you in danger…”

“No. Be quiet Jasper.” I proclaim. His mouth opens. I suppose I rarely interrupt him.

“But its…” He splutters.

“You weren’t there. I would be dead if not for him. Twice, three times over. I trust him.”

Jasper’s eyes go wild, but I only smile at my brother.

“I’m really sorry for summoning the Arch-Magister under your authority. Even if she forgave us, I’ve just given you a lot of trouble, haven’t I?” I sigh.

He looks down, and so do I. I take a tissue from my coat pocket and wipe away the blood from Jim’s mouth.

“But I had to save him. I’m an idiot, Jasper. But I just can’t help myself.”

I look up at brother and smile again.

“I love him.”

Jasper’s brows furrow, and he looks me straight in the eyes as he frowns. I hold his gaze, maybe for the first time in my life.

Then he blows out a sigh, and hugs me.

“Then I’m glad my sister and new brother are safe.” He chuckles.

And I cry again, with a smile still on my face…